The Year Of Rain

At home

At first, the children were overjoyed when they were shown the flashlight and its ability to enlarge their bodies, their minds already filled with all the games they could play, the pranks and the fun they would have. However, it all flew out the window when the adults put them to do chores, leaving little room for playtime. Thus they began to run from the item that only a day ago filled them with hopes and promises of fun, now dread taking over each time they saw Gertrude approach them with it, running and hiding each where they could. Not even Hornet, master of sneaking and running away was capable of escaping the old woman's list of chores, the hag helped by Herrah and Pale King to tame the wild princess and make her do as told, which in turn only made the little ones fear them more.

Now, that he was just as big as a normal human, Grimm began to wonder how did (Y/N) and James manage to move around the house with all those bugs constantly running between their feet. He had to constantly look where he was going, careful not to step on anyone, and that was considering that most of the bugs had moved in the tunnels below the garden, now that they managed to rebuild the cities they left behind long ago, when they moved in the room on the second floor. Only Pale King, his family and knights, Herrah and her spiders, Vespa and her bees, he and his troupe stayed behind, pleased with the conditions already offered. Still, even so, they were too many! The children were constantly running around once the threat of the flashlight was gone, Pure, Ghost and his own son, nearly always being the ones falling prey to it. The tall prince didn't mind. They liked to help anyway, especially the Doll who was kind and just like them, was silent most of the time, and even when she spoke, her voice was soft and polite, having a motherly tone each time. Needless to say, compared to Gertrude's demanding and stern attitude, the children preferred to flock around the other one, leaving Grimm, Pale King and Herrah to help the old woman, White Lady remaining to look after the little grubs together with Mabel and Olaf.

The Troupe Master sighed heavily as he finished setting the laundry to dry. He looked at the Wyrm who was struggling with the garden hose. It was quite funny to watch actually, but he couldn't enjoy it, worries and exhaustion eating away at his strength. He couldn't even sleep properly, too concerned about his daughter. His father didn't provide much information, willing to shield his son from the truth of the situation. Little did he know, it was exactly that lack of data that had Grimm on edge so much.

"Here. Let me help." he said, heading to Pale King and trying to untangle the green hose from around the Higher Being's tail. "How did you even get so tangled up?"

The Wyrm ignored the last question, glad to be rid of that darned tube.

"How does (Y/N) manage to do all this by herself?" he said, taking the hose back and throwing a sad glance towards the small pots of flowers that their daughters spend days during autumn to take care of.

A deep silence settled between the two bugs, memories overflowing their minds and bringing tears to their eyes. When they heard about the accident, both of them felt the ground crumble beneath their feet. The Wyrm was used to the pain, having experienced it so many times, the loss, the reality that he'd never see them again, but Grimm... he was devastated, the Nightmare Heart inside of him beating like crazy fueled by fear and adrenaline. He couldn't stay there. He had to go to her. He had to make sure she was alright.

Nightmare King was already on his way, but he couldn't reach her, finding only a deep darkness ready to swallow her and Amygdala, holding onto a little light and begging the others for help. The scarlet Monarch experienced the loss of a dear one too, in his countless cycles of death and rebirth... but they always returned to him, memories and feelings, the days he spend with each one engraved into his mind as their soul never left his side becoming a part of him, an eternal flame burning inside him, forever, until he himself would be no more. But (Y/N) ..., she would be gone forever, unchained by the same shackles that kept the others close to him, tied to his very being. He felt his heart being torn to pieces as the realization fell upon him, the pain unbearable. He crashed, there in the darkness, letting out the most wretched screams his throat could muster, right from the wound opening inside, beneath his shell. He couldn't move, couldn't act, only shout his sorrow and beg together with Amygdala for the Great Ones to come and help.